


worth the wait

by chocolatecosmos45



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, i got a flash of inspiration to finish this, nonbinary moca, nonbinary ran, rated t for the fuck word and like one comment at the end, stan rimiran
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatecosmos45/pseuds/chocolatecosmos45
Summary: rimiran rights
Relationships: Ushigome Rimi/Mitake Ran
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	worth the wait

**Author's Note:**

> decided to put my own spin on the red string of fate soulmate au bc i'm that bitch

**4**

Everyone knows they have a soulmate, linked to them by an invisible thread. Even if you never meet them, they are still there. And if you did meet them, you'd know right away from the shock down your spine upon eye contact.

Ran had always been able to see the red string of fate attached to everyone. From a couple on the street with their string linking them together, to her father's limp strand that was left after her mother died. Her own went off far away, her father said it was in the direction of Kansai. Maybe even farther. 

Seeing the string everywhere was normal to her. Natural.

So when her father told her not to point it out to the people she met or play with her own in public, she was confused. Other people couldnt see it? But it was right there! Right on their ring fingers!

Even so, she obeyed her father and stayed quiet. There would be a time and place for telling people, he said, just not now.

And so she just listened, quietly observing everyone's love lives with the secret knowledge of who fate decided should be with each other.

* * *

**13**

Ran taps their fingers against their knees, eyes closed as they listen to their best friends banter back and forth. Well, as much as they can handle. The vague flirting between Moca and Tsugumi they can hear is getting annoying. Really, really annoying. Those two don't even know they're doing it. God.

As Ran had gotten older, their ability to see the red string of fate - or rather, several colors of strings - had only grown stronger. They always knew red meant romantic soulmates, they had learned that early on. When they entered the third grade, they learned of a new type: blue. That meant familial soulmates, family members or those similar in closeness destined to stay close forever. They knew because they could see one connecting Tomoe and Ako by their index fingers. How nice.

Yellow strings connected platonic soulmates, friends forever, the kind who could weather any storm. The morning after Afterglow had formed, one had seemed to materialize and connect all five members by their pinkies. Ran might have been a little happy about that. And may or may not have cried a little. Maybe.

Green was... a strange one. At first, they thought it had meant eternal rivals, since the first one they saw connected them to that high and mighty vocalist of Roselia by their middle fingers. But then they saw it connecting her to another girl across the street, one with buns shaped like cat ears. Why would those two be rivals? Strange... maybe they'll find out some day.

"Raaan~" they hear Moca call, snapping them out of their thoughts. They're staring at them weird. Ah, they're all four staring at Ran funny. Weird. "Whatcha got there~?"

"Huh?" They glance down.

Oh.

Somehow, at some point, they had started up their old habit of fidgeting with their strings and were now tangled up in them. Their fingers must looks really odd to those who can't see the strings... like Afterglow.

"Mother of fuck..." They mumble curses under their breath as they detangle their fingers from the strings. This is... probably the best time to tell them, right? Better to tell them now than never, y'know? Especially with four sets of eyes boring into them, beckoning for them to spill. Creepy.

"This is going to sound dumb. Really dumb. Himari 'I have psychic powers I swear' Uehara dumb." The girl in question huffs indignantly, but they ignore that and continue. "But..." They take a deep breath. "You know the red string of fate or whatever? That string that supposedly connects you to your soulmate? I... I can see that. See the string everyone has. A-and there's more than one color."

The silence seems to stretch on forever as Afterglow processes all that. Ran squirms slightly. "Quit... quit staring at me like that. I-it's true." Moca is the first of the others to speak.

"Fufu, seems pretty far-fetched~ Moca-chan doesn't buy it~ Gimme some proof, Ran~" Moca drawls, a smug smirk on their face. As if they've caught Ran in a lie.

So they're playing that game, huh?

Ran crawls between Moca and Tsugumi, ignoring the confused "eh?"s with an annoyed look in their eyes. "Hand," they grumble, holding a hand out to Tsugumi, who hesitantly complies. "Moca. Hand up." Moca does so, clearly playing along. They hold Tsugumi's hand steady by the wrist and tug her red string down, watching the various emotions flicker through both her and Moca's eyes when their ring fingers both move together.

Their cheeks flush bright red when it finally, finally clicks. "H-huh?!" "Oh my god."

Ran sighs. "Fucking finally. You guys' flirting is so annoying." Tsugumi gets even more flustered, and Moca makes a weird noise as they choke on their spit. "W-we weren't flirting, Ran-chan!! U-um... were we?"

"I know I was but holy shit." Moca buries their face in their hands. "Ugh. That's what that weird shock was. _Ughhhhh_. Ran wins this time..." Satisfied, Ran returns to their spot with a little triumphant grin.

"Rannn!" Himari cries out excitedly. "Can you tell me who I'm connected to? Oh, I hope it's someone dashing and princely..."

Tomoe wraps her arm around Himari's shoulder and neck, ignoring the protests of "To-mo- _e_!!!" and pushing on her side. "Now, now. That would take all the fun out of it, right? Knowing exactly who fate put ya with. Besides, Ran might not even know them." Himari pouts, stopping her struggling.

"Tomoe is right. I don't really know most people anyways... I can tell the direction and colors, though." At that, Himari perks up like an excited puppy. Same as always... Ran nods.

"As you now know, Moca and Tsugumi are connected by a red string, meaning romantic love. Even so, they both have a few more red strings... Tsugumi has two, and Moca has... Moca has four. I've never seen it before. I know they're all in this region, though." They all seem shocked, Moca most of all. Once they've processed it all, they motion for Ran to continue.

"Himari has one, which is what I see with most people. Tomoe has one as well. They're both going in the same general direction when we're at school, but they split up afterwards. Same with most of Moca's and both of Tsugumi's. One of Moca's goes towards the higher grades in our school."

They take a deep breath. This is the most they've spoken in a while... and they're all listening with rapt attention. "Blue is familial or a similar relationship. Tomoe's got one connecting her to Ako, that's how I found out. Yellow is platonic, friends to the ends of the earth. Um..." They flush pink, tugging on their own yellow string. "... We're all five connected by one." As expected, that brings a slew of affectionate reactions and a hug from both Himari and Moca that makes them get even redder. "Hmmph... Green is... weird. I don't know what it means yet. I have one connecting me to that Roselia vocalist, but she has one connecting her to another girl... it's weird."

"What about your red string, Ran-chan?" Tsugumi asks, tilting her head. "You never said anything about that."

"Oh, um... they live in Kansai. Er... lived. The string got tighter recently, so I... I think they moved here."

"Do you want to find them?"

"... Someday. Hopefully."

* * *

**16**

Their soulmate is here.

Their _soulmate_ is _here_ , somewhere in the crowded mall, and they're not ready. They're not ready at _all_. Himari, who's with them, flicks her gaze between their hand and their eyes, a knowing grin growing on her face.

"They're here?"

"They're here." Their string moves left and right as their soulmate moves around, getting tighter and looser as they get closer and farther away. Himari bounces excitedly on the balls of her feet, clearly more excited about this than they are.

"Then let's go~!" Himari grabs their hand and runs off in the completely wrong direction. Ran grumbles, digging their heels into the ground and pulling a sheepish Himari in the other direction. She quickly recovers, leading Ran in and out of the crowd, weaving through the mass of shoppers with their reluctant directions, until finally-

"Oof-"

"A-ah, sorry-!"

They run directly into someone; rather, Himari pulls them into someone. They wriggle their hand out of her grip, place their hands on the person's - the girl's - shoulders, and gently push her upright. As muted red meets orchid, a shock rolls down their spine.

Their string is tighter than it's ever been.

Ran quickly glances down at their taut string, then back up at their equally shocked soulmate.

Wait.

Shocked?

Before they can open their mouth, the girl starts spewing out apologies, her nervous voice thick with a Kansai accent. "I-I'm so sorry, I di'n't see ya there, I-I was jus' tryin' to-to... u-um..."

"Can you see it?" Good going, Ran, ask a weird and vague question, that will calm her down. Sure enough, she stops, confused. "S-see...?"

Ran holds up their right hand and tug on the red string, watching as the girl's eyes grow wide. She nods quickly and tugs on her own end, almost nervously. She doesn't move away. "S-so... so you're... you, um..."

"I... I am. Your, um... your soulmate. Sorry it's not... super romantic or anything. I-I know cute... cute girls like you, um... like that sorta thing." Ran watches as the girl turns a bright crimson from their awkward flirting. Cute... "Can I get your name?"

"O-oh! Um... R-Rimi. Rimi Ushigome. I-I play bass for Poppin' Party. And you're...?"

Ran finds that their words are starting to come easier to them now, comforted by the gentle chocolatey scent coming from her. From Rimi. Is this what all soulmates are like? Gentle, comforting, and you never want to leave their side? They should probably introduce themself now.

"Ran Mitake. Guitar and singer for Afterglow. I was actually here with Himari for a new outfit, never expected to..." Oh. Oh right. They were here with Himari. For an outfit. Their head snaps up, their gaze darting around and searching for Himari.

They find her off to the side, texting someone like crazy with a massive grin on her face. Oh no. Oh god. They (reluctantly) break away from Rimi and storm over to her, reaching out to swipe her phone. She's fast though, and she deftly dodges all of their attempts to subdue her. "Himari-!"

She just laughs and hits send, dodging one more attempt and sticking out her tongue at them. She gets behind them and gently pushes them toward a dumbfounded Rimi. "Don't worry about the outfit, Ran~! You just go enjoy the nice, relaxing date that I just set up for the two of you to get to know each other~!" Both Ran and Rimi blush even darker than before. "Tsugu's expecting you soon~!" With that, she skips off with a happy hum, leaving the two alone.

"... U-um..."

"... Childhood friends are so annoying sometimes. Jeez." Rimi giggles at their grumbling, a laugh high and light like a windchime. A laugh that absolutely melts their heart. They hold out their hand for her to take. "Shall we, then?"

Rimi slips her surprisingly rough hand (why is it surprising, she's a bassist) into theirs and nods, a little smile that tugs at their heartstrings on her lips.

Looking at Rimi... Ran knew that this moment was worth the wait.

* * *

**Omake**

"Oi, Rimi." Arisa's voice is rough from all the talking she did earlier, yet gentle as she addresses her timid friend. Beside her, Lisa hums quietly with a skip in her step.

Rimi jumps, shaken from her thoughts, but she quickly recovers. "Y-yes, Arisa-chan? What is it?"

"I've been meaning to ask... how did ya imitate Mitake-san so easily earlier? I mean, you got it right on the nose, pattern of speech and everything." Lisa stops humming, sending a discreet wink to Rimi.

Rimi giggles softly, a hand to her mouth. "It'd be pretty easy to imitate your lover and soulmate, wouldn't you think?"

"Ah, yeah, that makes sense." Arisa nods in understanding and continues walking.

Then she stops.

And thinks.

And thinks some more.

"... say that again?"

"Hm? Lover and soulmate?" Rimi tilts her head innocently, while Lisa is just barely keeping it together. Arisa... looks like she's about to have an aneurysm.

"Surprised someone as abrasive as Mitake-san got someone as sweet as you for a soulmate," she mumbles, twirling one of her pigtails around a finger. Rimi closes her eyes and continues on with a sly smile.

"They do kinda have an abrasive tongue, and they have called me sweet before~"

The sound of Arisa's flustered choking noises and Lisa's raucous cackling behind her is like music to her ears.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to know who everyone else are connected to just lmk
> 
> stan rimiran


End file.
